When connectors having a number of terminals are mated, the mating resistance generated between mating contacts in both of the connectors becomes greater. Hence, it is generally difficult to mate the connectors by pushing the connectors by hand. For this reason, several kinds of what are called lever-type connectors, which utilize a toggle for reducing the operational force for mating, have been proposed.
As a conventional lever-type connector of such a kind, for example, the connectors shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are known. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional lever-type connector. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a housing for use in the lever-type connector shown in FIG. 11.
A lever-type connector 101, shown in FIG. 11, is configured to be mated with a mating connector 150, and includes a housing 110, a pair of sliders 120, a lever 130, and a wire cover 140.
The housing 110 has, as shown in FIG. 12, a contact receiving portion 112 having multiple contact receiving cavities 111 that extend in the front-and-rear direction (in FIG. 12, the left side denotes front side and the right side denotes rear side). Each of the contact receiving cavities 111 receive a metal contact (not shown) connected to an electrical wire (not shown). In addition, the housing 110 is provided with a pair of upper and lower (in FIG. 12, the upper side denotes upper side and the lower side denotes lower side) slider receiving slots 113 that open at both of its left and right end surfaces (in FIG. 11, the left side denotes left side and the right side denotes right side). Furthermore, a pair of upper and lower lever receiving grooves 114 that open at the rear surface of the housing 110 are defined in the housing 110 and at the upper and lower outsides of the slider receiving slot 113. A sealing member 115 is provided at the outer circumference of the contact receiving portion 112. The sealing member 115 seals an area between the mating connector 150 to be mated with and the contact receiving portion 112 so as to have a function of preventing water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 111 from the mating part side.
Each of the sliders 120 are formed to have a plate shape, and are movably received in the slider receiving slot 113 of the housing 110. The inner surface of each slider 120 is provided with cam grooves 121 into which cam pins 152 arranged at a mating part 151 of the mating connector 150 are inserted, as shown in FIG. 11. Also, the outer surface of each slider 120 is provided with a pin portion 122 that is inserted into an interlocking groove 133, to be described later, arranged at the lever 130.
Additionally, the lever 130 is provided to extend from a pair of arms 132 (only one of the arms is shown in FIG. 11), each having a plate shape from both ends of an operation portion 131. Each arm 132 is provided with a pin opening 134. The lever 130 is supported for rotation with respect to the wire cover 140 by making the pin opening 134 fit with a supporting pin 141 arranged at the wire cover 140. Also, each arm 132 is provided with the interlocking groove 133 from its outer circumferential edge toward the pin opening 134.
Further, the wire cover 140 is attached at the rear side of the housing 110, so as to extract the electrical wire extracted from the housing 110 at one side of the left-and-right direction of the housing 110.
In order to mate the lever-type connector 101 and the mating connector 150, the lever 130 and the sliders 120 are firstly located at separated positions, so that the mating part 151 of the mating connector 150 is mated from the front side of the lever-type connector 101. Then, the cam pins 152 of the mating connector 150 enter the inlets of the cam grooves 121 arranged at the slider 120, as shown in FIG. 11, so both connectors 101 and 150 come to a temporary mating state. Subsequently, when the lever 130, at a separated position, is rotated toward the mating position, the interlocking groove 133 arranged at the lever 130 pushes the pin portion 122 of the slider 120 to the mating position. Thus, the slider 120 interlocks with the lever 130 to move from the separated position to the mating position. The operation of the cam grooves 121 and the cam pins 152 causes both of the connectors 101 and 150 to come closer to each other and come to the mating state.
Conversely, when the lever 130, at the mating position, is rotated toward the separated position, the slider 120 interlocks with the lever 130 to move from the mating position to the separated position. The operation of the cam grooves 121 and the cam pins 152 causes both of the connectors 101 and 150 to be separated from each other.
In this manner, the lever-type connector 101 is configured to employ the toggle including: the lever 130 that rotates; and the slider 120 that interlocks with the lever 130 and that has the cam grooves 121. Thus, the operational force for mating can be reduced considerably.
In the lever-type connector 101, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the mating connector 150 to be mated with and the contact receiving portion 112 are sealed with the sealing member 115 arranged at the outer circumference of the contact receiving portion 112, thereby preventing water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 111 from the mating side (front side) to be mated with the mating connector. In the lever-type connector 101, however, it is impossible to prevent water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 111 from the opposite side to the side to be mated with the mating connector.
Hence, conventionally, there is known connectors, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, for example, as a connector that utilizes a cam-type toggle for preventing water from entering from the opposite side to the side to be mated with the mating connector. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a connector that utilizes the conventional cam-type toggle. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 13. A connector 201, which utilizes the cam-type toggle shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, is configured to be mated with a mating connector 250, and is provided with a housing 210 and a pair of slide-type levers 220.
The housing 210 includes, as shown in FIG. 14, a contact receiving portion 212 having multiple contact receiving cavities 211 that extend in the front-and-rear direction (in FIG. 14, the left side denotes front side and the right side denotes rear side). Each of the contact receiving cavities 211 receive a metal contact 214 connected to an electrical wire (not shown). In addition, the housing 210 includes a pair of upper and lower (in FIG. 14, the upper side denotes upper side and the lower side denotes lower side) lever receiving grooves 213 that open at both of its left and right end surfaces (in FIG. 13, the left side denotes left side and the right side denotes right side). A first seal 215 is provided at the outer circumference of the contact receiving portion 212. The first seal 215 seals an area between a mating part 251 of the mating connector 250 to be mated with and the contact receiving portion 212 to have a function of preventing water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 211 from the mating part side. Additionally, a second sealing member receiving depression 216 is provided at the rear surface of the housing 210.
The second sealing member receiving depression 216 accommodates a second sealing member 240 having multiple electrical wire extracting openings 231 arranged at the positions corresponding to the contact receiving cavities 211, respectively. The second sealing member 240 is what is called a collective-type sealing member, such that the electrical wire extracting openings 231 are in tight contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of electrical wires connected to contacts 214, and in addition, the outer circumferential surface of the second sealing member 240 is in tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the second sealing member receiving depression 216. This prevents water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 211 from the opposite side (rear side) to the side to be mated with the mating connector 150. A pushing member 230 for preventing the separation of the second sealing member 240 is attached at the rear side of the second sealing member 240. A latching arm 217 arranged at the housing 210 elastically latches with a notch 232 arranged at the pushing member 230, whereby the pushing member 230 is attached to the housing 210.
Each of the levers 220 are formed to have a plate shape, and are movably received in the lever receiving groove 213 of the housing 210. The inner surface of each lever 220 is provided with a cam groove 221 into which a cam pin 252 arranged at a mating part 251 of the mating connector 250 is inserted, as shown in FIG. 13.
In order to mate the connector 201 and the mating connector 250, the lever 220 is firstly located at a separated position, so that the mating part 251 of the mating connector 250 is mated from the front side of the lever-type connector 201. Then, the cam pin 252 of the mating connector 250 enters the inlet of the cam groove 221 arranged at the lever 220, as shown in FIG. 13, so both connectors 201 and 250 come to a temporary mating state. Subsequently, when the lever 220 at the separated position is pushed to the mating position, the operation of the cam groove 221 and the cam pin 252 causes both of the connectors 201 and 250 to come closer to each other and come to the mating state. Conversely, when the lever 220 at the mating position is returned to the separated position, the operation of the cam groove 221 and the cam pin 252 causes both of the connectors 201 and 250 to be separated from each other.
In the connector 201, the first seal 215 is capable of sealing between the contact receiving portion 212 and the mating connector 250 to be mated with, and in addition, the first seal 215 is capable of preventing water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 211 from the opposite side to the side to be mated with the mating connector. Also, the provision of the toggle including the lever 220, of a slide type, having the cam groove 221 achieves the reduction in the operational force for mating.
It should be noted, however, that the connector 201 is configured such that the lever 220 of a slide type is directly operated by hand. Accordingly, the reduction in the operational force for mating cannot be expected too much, as compared to the lever-type connector 101 having a toggle including the lever 130 that rotates and the slider 120 that interlocks with the lever 130 and that has the cam grooves 121.
Hence, conventionally, as schematically shown in FIG. 15, there has been developed a lever-type connector in which a family sealing member is provided for preventing water from entering into the contact receiving cavities from the opposite side to the side to be mated with the mating connector. In addition, such a lever-type connector has a toggle including: a lever that rotates; and a slider that interlocks with the lever and that has cam grooves. FIG. 15 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of another conventional lever-type connector.
A lever-type connector 301 shown in FIG. 15 is configured to be mated with a mating connector C, and is provided with an inner housing 310, a first seal 320, a second seal 330 (as a family seal), an outer housing 340, a pair of sliders 350, a lever 360, and a wire cover 370.
The inner housing 310 includes: a housing main body 312 having multiple contact receiving cavities 311 that extend in the front-and-rear direction (in FIG. 15, the left side denotes front side and the right side denotes rear side); and a hood 313 that protrudes rearward from the housing main body 312. Each of the contact receiving cavities 311 accommodates a metal contact (not shown) connected to an electrical wire (not shown).
The first seal 320 is arranged at the outer periphery of the housing main body 312, so as to seal between the housing main body 312 and the mating connector to be mated with, thereby preventing water entering into the contact receiving cavities 311.
In addition, the second seal 330 (as a family seal) is accommodated in the hood 313 of the inner housing 310 so as to be in tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the hood 313. The second seal 330, as a family sealing member, prevents water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 311 from the rear side of the inner housing 310. An outer housing 340 is attached to the rear side of the second seal 330, as a family sealing member, so as to prevent the separation of the second seal 330, as a family sealing member. A latching arm (not shown) arranged at the inner housing 310 elastically latches a latching portion (not shown) arranged at the outer housing 340, whereby the outer housing 340 is attached to the inner housing 310.
The outer housing 340 is provided with: a main body 341 located at the rear side of the second seal 330, as a family sealing member; and a hood portion 342 that extends frontward from the outer circumferential end portion of the main body 341 so as to cover the inner housing 310. A pair of slider receiving slots 343 that extend in the left-and-right direction (in a direction orthogonal to the sheet surface of FIG. 15) are provided at both of upper and lower side portions of the hood portion 342 of the outer housing 340.
Each of the sliders 350 are formed to have a substantially plate shape, and are movably received in the slider receiving slot 343 of the outer housing 340. The inner surface of each slider 350 is provided with a cam groove 351 into which a cam pin (not shown) arranged at the mating connector is inserted. Also, each slider 350 is provided with a groove (not shown) into which a pin for slider movement arranged (not shown) at the lever 360.
Additionally, the lever 360 is rotatably supported with respect to the outer housing 340 so that the rotation of the lever 360 causes the sliders 350 to slide in the left-and-right direction.
Further, the wire cover 370 is attached to the rear side of the outer housing 340, so as to extract the electrical wire extracted from the outer housing 340 at one side in the left-and-right direction of the outer housing 340.
In order to mate the above lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C, the lever 360 and the sliders 350 are firstly located at separated positions, so that the mating connector C is mated from the front side of the lever-type connector 301. Then, the cam pin of the mating connector C enters the inlet of the cam groove 351 arranged at the slider 350, so both of the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C come to a temporary mating state. Subsequently, when the lever 360 at the separated position is rotated toward the mating position, the pin for slider movement arranged at the lever 360 pushes the sliders 350. Thus, the slider 350 interlocks with the lever 360 to slide from the separated position to the mating position. The operation of the cam groove 351 and the cam pin causes both of the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C to come closer to each other and come to the mating state. Conversely, when the lever 360 at the mating position is rotated toward the separated position, the slider 350 interlocks with the lever 360 to slide from the mating position to the separated position. The operation of the cam groove 351 and the cam pin causes the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C to be separated from each other.
In this manner, the lever-type connector 301 is provided with the second seal 330, as a family sealing member, to prevent water from entering into the contact receiving cavities 311 from the rear side of the inner housing 310. Also, the lever-type connector 301 employs the toggle including: the lever 360 that rotates; and the slider 350 that interlocks with the lever 360 and that has a cam groove 351, thereby significantly reducing the operational force for mating. Additionally, the slider 350 is configured to be accommodated in the outer housing 340 for preventing the separation of the second seal 330, as a family sealing member, thereby downsizing the lever-type connector 301 and making the connector structure simple.
The lever-type connector 301 shown in FIG. 15, however, has following drawbacks.
That is, in order to mate the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C, when the lever 360 at the separated position is rotated toward the mating position, the slider 350 interlocks with the lever 360 and slides from the separated position to the mating position in the slider receiving slot 343 in the left-and-right direction. The operation of the cam groove 351 and cam pin causes the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C to come closer and come to a mating state. In this process, the front end surface of the slider 350 firstly pushes a front surface 343b of the slider receiving slot 343 arranged at the outer housing 340 in a direction of arrow X, that is, in the direction closer to the mating connector C. Next, the outer housing 340 pushes the rear end surface 313a of the inner housing 310 in the direction of arrow X.
Meanwhile, in order to separate the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C from each other, when the lever 360 at the mating position is rotated toward the separated position, the slider 350 interlocks with the lever 360 and slides from the mating position to the separated position in the slider receiving slot 343 in the left-and-right direction. The operation of the cam groove 351 and cam pin causes the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C to be separated from each other. In this process, the rear end surface of the slider 350 firstly pushes a rear surface 343a of the slider receiving slot 343 arranged at the outer housing 340 in a direction of arrow Y, that is, in the direction away from the mating connector C. Next, the outer housing 340 pushes the inner housing 310 in the direction of arrow Y via the latching portion, and the latching arm of the inner housing 310.
In this manner, when the lever-type connector 301 and the mating connector C are separated from each other, the outer housing 340 pulls the inner housing 310 in the direction of arrow Y via the latching portion, and the latching arm of the inner housing 310. In such a structure, connectors with lots of terminals are mated with each other and the mating resistance generated between both contacts becomes greater. Since the mating force of the inner housing 310 and the mating connector C is great, a great force is exerted onto the latching portion of the outer housing 340 and the latching arm of the inner housing 310. This damages the latching portion and the latching arm and causes malfunction in some cases. In a case where the latching portion does not function normally as described, the outer housing 340 cannot pull the inner housing 310 sufficiently and the inner housing 310 is separated from the outer housing 340, remaining at the mating connector C side.
Meanwhile, if the structure is configured such that the retaining force of the outer housing 340 and the inner housing 310 is enhanced by the latching portion of the outer housing 340 and the latching arm of the inner housing 310 so that the outer housing 340 can pull the inner housing 310 with certainty, there are limitations in the need for downsizing the lever-type connectors.